The approaches described in this section could be pursued, but are not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
The introduction of the digital video recorder (DVR) to the consumer world has revolutionized the way viewers watch and record television programs. DVRs eliminate the complications of VCRs and the need for video tapes. DVRs record television programs on a hard drive that is capable of storing a large number of television programs.
Viewers can easily record television programs without having to worry about what time the television show that they are interested in starts. Some DVRs are intelligent enough to know if a television show that is scheduled to be recorded will start late or begin early. Ease of use is the reason why DVRs have exploded in popularity. There are millions of DVRs across the country in viewers' living rooms.
A few manufacturers' DVRs are capable of informing the viewer if the viewer's request to record a television program conflicts with other scheduled recordings. The viewer also has the ability to manage the recorded television programs stored on the DVR's hard drive. The viewer can delete unwanted recordings or let the DVR automatically delete old recordings when the DVR's hard drive gets full.
Some service providers can remotely communicate with DVRs and download information and content to the DVRs. Given this level of control over the service provider's DVRs could allow the service provider to offer broadcasters and advertisers a new way to reach television viewers. However, very few DVRs are sophisticated enough to function beyond recording television programs.